On February 9, 2012, The Green Teaist was honored to have the senior officers and staff of JETRO Chicago visit The Green Teaist in Lake Forest. JETRO, the Japan External Trade Organization, with over 70 offices in 54 countries around the globe, has 6 locations in the U.S.: Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. JETRO, based in Chicago, serves 12 Midwestern states and provides expert business advice to support U.S.-Japan trade and investment in all industrial and commercial sectors, including the food and beverage industry. The Green Teaist wishes to thank JETRO Chicago for its warm support and cooperation in facilitating the importation and distribution of the finest green teas of Japan.

On Saturday, February 11, 2012, The Green Teaist celebrated Valentine's Day with a special Green Tea and Toraya Yokan offering. The Lake Forester (part of the Chicago Sun-Times) newspaper featured the event in its February 14, edition as "Tea for Two," with the byline: "Sencha green tea at The Green Teaist. The Teaist held Valentine's Afternoon Tea." (Michelle LaVigne-Sun Times Media).

Joanne Needham of Wilmette enjoys her cup of Sencha green tea at The Green Teaist.

Each lady was presented with a red rose and gift packet.

Joseph Stellner, General Manager, with The Green Teaist's chabako, special tea box, in the climate controlled TGT® Tea Cellar.

The Green Teaist's proprietary TGT® blend of Sencha, Kukicha and Matcha, is poured into a pot to be steeped.

Veteran Teaista®, since 2008, Aubrey Konrath, pours a cup of the TGT® Blend during The Green Teaist's Valentine's Afternoon Tea.

TGT® GREEN TEAS AT ANDAZ RH

The acclaimed Executive Chef Jorge Chicas' Andaz RH restaurant in West Hollywood, California, has recently joined the roster of famed dining venues around the country featuring The Green Teaists's finest green teas. On the fabled Sunset Strip, the RH features French-California cuisine, ideally-suited for the fresh and sublime green teas of Kyoto. RH has selected a wide assortment of TGT® teas to be presented to its patrons and displayed in the TGT® Illuminated Tea Chest.

TGT® Illuminated Tea Chest for Andaz RH

TGT® Teas Selected by Andaz RH

GREEN TEA IN THE NEWS

Although The Green Teaist, as a matter of policy, has not and does not take any position in endorsing or supporting various health claims made for green teas, a recent report from one of the oldest and most prestigious national universities of Japan may be worth mentioning because it involved, specifically, the green teas of Japan and was accepted for publication in the March, 2012, issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It appears to be one of the most thoroughly-researched scientific reports, available to date, regarding the green teas of Japan, and not based, merely, on anecdotal experience.

Previous studies concerning green teas have usually been unclear or vague as to whether they related, specifically, to the green teas of Japan which utilize a centuries-old process of steaming and drying freshly-picked green tea leaves. The process results in the familiar vibrant green color of the green teas of Japan with their distinctive fresh bouquet, flavor and vegetal attributes remaining intact. In the case of most other teas, primarily, China and India, their traditional withering, pan-firing and fermentation processes usually result in oolong or "black teas," and cannot be said to produce "green teas." The Green Teaist focuses, exclusively, on the finest green teas of Japan, primarily from the Kyoto area.

The following summary of the report as published by Reuters may encourage readers to review the complete report.

Elderly adults who regularly drink green tea may stay more agile and independent than their peers over time, according to a Japanese study that covered thousands of people. Green tea contains antioxidant chemicals that may help ward off the cell damage that can lead to disease. Researchers have been studying green tea's effect on everything from cholesterol to the risk of certain cancers, with mixed results so far.

For the new study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers decided to examine the question of whether green tea drinkers have a lower risk of frailty and disability as they grow older. Yasutake Tomata of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and his colleagues followed nearly 14,000 adults aged 65 or older for three years.

They found those who drank the most green tea were the least likely to develop "functional disability," or problems with daily activities or basic needs, such as dressing or bathing. Specifically, almost 13 percent of adults who drank less than a cup of green tea per day became functionally disabled, compared with just over 7 percent of people who drank at least five cups a day.

"Green tea consumption is significantly associated with a lower risk of incident functional disability, even after adjustment for possible confounding factors," Tomata and his colleagues wrote. The study did not prove that green tea alone kept people spry as they grew older.Green-tea lovers generally had healthier diets, including more fish, vegetables and fruit, as well as more education, lower smoking rates, fewer heart attacks and strokes, and greater mental sharpness.

They also tended to be more socially active and have more friends and family to rely on.

But even with those factors accounted for, green tea itself was tied to a lower disability risk, the researchers said. People who drank at least five cups a day were one-third less likely to develop disabilities than those who had less than a cup per day. Those people who averaged three or four cups a day had a 25 percent lower risk.

Although it's not clear how green tea might offer a buffer against disability, Tomata's team did note that one recent study found green tea extracts seem to boost leg muscle strength in older women. While green tea and its extracts are considered safe in small amounts, they do contain caffeine and small amounts of vitamin K, which means it could interfere with drugs that prevent blood clotting. - Published February 06, 2012 Reuters

The Five Senses of Green Tea (Coming Soon to THEGREENTEAIST.COM and Google)

The Green Teaist offers the finest green teas available from the premier tea-growing regions of Japan. Whether at The Green Teaist's Salons in Lake Forest, Illinois or in Beverly Hills or at home, the refinement, quality and sensory characteristics of TGT green teas provide the ultimate green tea experience.

"SEE" the beautiful tea leaves with their fresh, deep green hues.

"SMELL" the tea leaves for their exquisite fragrance and freshness.

"TOUCH" the tea leaves to appreciate their elegance and the care with which they have been formed.

"HEAR" the tea leaves blossom as the water is poured and the tea is steeped.

"TASTE" and savor the smooth and ethereal flavors which are the essence of the finest green teas of Japan.

THEGREENTEAIST.COMThe Green Tea Accessories Update

The Green Teaist has added new tea accessories to our online store, including beautiful glassware from London, intricate traditional teaware from Kyoto and a comprehensive selection of books on green tea from around the globe. Please follow the links below to see our latest additions to the website.